How to Be a Christian without Going to Church by Kelly Bean

Author:Kelly Bean [Bean, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL012000, REL067050, Communities—Religious aspects—Christianity, Church attendance, Church
ISBN: 9781441246530
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2014-06-24T04:00:00+00:00

Community and Connection

The person bundled in a blanket on a door stoop in Old Town is no longer a scary entity to be avoided; he is the very person I shared lunch with at Potluck in the Park last week. His name is Scott, he has kind brown eyes, and a scruffy dog named Scrap is his best friend. The compelling faces of African children are no longer nameless, overwhelming masses. They are individuals with unique stories, personal strengths, favorite foods, and specific challenges, and they have helped shape who I am today.

Transformational community can be produced by opening a picnic basket, traveling with a purpose, hosting a party for a good cause, or opening up to friendship with people on the other side of the world or people on the other side of the tracks in your own town. I wonder how this world might be shaped if we—the brave and the not-so-brave among us—all find some way, small or large, to learn about others. We can only begin to imagine what will happen when we step outside of our comfort zones with humble hearts, seek wise guides, and, importantly—whether we are in our own backyard, in a soup kitchen, or on the other side of the globe—when we don’t go it alone.

When we start to ask where we can learn and who we can invite to join us, transformative community and world-changing outcomes are in store. I’ve seen it happen time and time again. As a non-goer you can gather others and form communities of healing and transformation. Don’t just give money; take some action and get others to join you, tell stories, learn about and encounter the lives behind the cause, throw a party and invite guests you might not normally invite. When we open ourselves to learn, we are better able to encounter God’s world in all of its beauty and diversity. Cross-cultural friendships not based on charity or feel-good deeds but based on humility and real relationship change us and create something new. As non-goers we may find companions, teachers, encouragers, and leaders in previously unexpected places. It is no surprise that such relationships are transformative and can make a genuine difference in the world—Christ is there, and that is good news.

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